


Things Change

by BlueandBronze



Series: Snapshots [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Episode: s03e04 Gwaine, Friendship, Gen, Introspection, POV Gwaine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-18 22:28:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19343947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueandBronze/pseuds/BlueandBronze
Summary: A small introspective look at Gwaine's life, mainly focused on Gwaine's perspective during the episode 'Gwaine'





	Things Change

** Things Change **

********

_Far away, there is a tavern. Inside is a man, who is not yet part of any grand schemes, the idea would be ridiculous to him, and he has no intention of becoming part of one. He has travelled far, moving from place to place with only a small bag, containing all he owns. He tells people he chose this life, and so it is what he wanted._

_Sometimes when he says it enough he can almost believe it._

_Until then, he will drink his drink, he will laugh with strangers, telling outlandish stories, and for a while he will forget._

_When the innkeeper realises he has no money, there will be a fight, which he will partake in enthusiastically, and which he will lose equally spectacularly. He’s used to it, it happens everywhere he goes._

_And soon, he will move on, with nothing more then what’s in his pack._

_But sometimes, things change._

~*~

 

There came a day, at a perfectly unassuming tavern, a blond man had stood up to a man threatening the tavern keeper, and his dark-haired friend had inadvertently started a fight, which Gwaine had joined enthusiastically. It was a fight, he could never refuse. Sure, it was for a nobler cause than most, but that was just an added bonus.

Then he’s seen the knife. He’d thrown himself in the way, and he felt that the thing to focus on, most definitely, was the fact that due to this heroic action, the man was no longer armed.

The issue was that the reason the knife was no longer threatening them, was because it was now in Gwaine’s leg. This was unfortunate, but not fatal. Probably. That was his last thought before the world went dark.

 

~*~

 

That was when things started to change.

He’d awoken in a room he didn’t recognise. That wasn’t that unusual. The fact that someone had cleaned his leg wound and bandaged it, that was unusual. The fact that this dark-haired man seemed to care about what happened to him, that was unusual.

Not impossible though. People had cared briefly before, before they inevitably grew tired of him. Still, it was nice while it lasted.

The dark-haired man was called Merlin.

And yet he hadn’t grown tired. Even through everything Gwaine had done, the man had remained by his side.

He was a friend.

And that wasn’t just unusual, it was entirely new. It was a change.

Then he was banished, and things felt like they were getting back to normal.

And so, he’d turned to leave. Leaving was easy as breathing. You don’t turn around, you don’t consider what (or who) you’re leaving, you focus on the road ahead.

And then he looked back. White towers jutting up to the sky, containing all their arrogant noblemen. And a dark-haired man who while a servant, had a certain recklessness about him. And maybe one who was less arrogant then the rest.

And then he wasn’t leaving, he was returning.

And maybe that was truly when everything changed.

He’d met a noble who truly was noble.

He’d met someone who enjoyed his company.

He’d met someone who considered him a friend.

When Merlin asked Gwaine to stay, he considered it. He’d never done so before. It wasn’t dreams of serving a king, while riding a horse and wearing large quantities of armour that appealed. It was the idea of staying near to Merlin. His friend. But the cost was that of showing his name. Taking a title, he hadn’t earned. And he couldn’t do that.

And so, he left. He felt sure, at that moment, that they wouldn’t be meeting again. They would remain in Camelot, and he would travel onwards. With only what was in his pack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Well, hope you liked that! Gwaine is, I think, my favourite character in Merlin, and I just love his appearances, and I wanted to write something about his life. I am planning on writing much more for this mini series-thing XD Hope you enjoyed!


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